Microstructural Examination of Culm Fibres of Bambusa Vulgaris Schrad. ex. J. C. Wendl.
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Citation: Microstructural Examination of Culm Fibres of Bambusa Vulgaris Schrad. ex. J. C. Wendl. American Research Journal of Biosciences; V5, I1; pp: 1-5.
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Abstract:
About 35 year old culm of Bambusa vulgaris was examined for microstructure with the aid of microscope. The culm was prepared and macerated following standard procedures. Eight hundred complete and reasonably straight fibres were measured for length (mm), diameter (µm), cell wall thickness (µm) and lumen diameter (µm). Their means were 2.97 ± 0.53, 18.59 ± 5.20, 9.98 ± 3.03 and 4.30 ± 1.12 respectively. These values were used to derive the flexibility coefficient and slenderness ratio/felting power of the fibres which were 51.04 ± 9.90 and 148.56 ± 13.30 respectively. Microscope examination revealed that the fibres were libriform, aseptate, thick-walled and lacked pit. Assertion such as the consideration of the culm of Bambusa vulgaris as alternative source of raw materials for pulp and paper production was made because the slenderness ratio of the fibres was more than 33. In conclusion, urgent derivation and analyses of the physical and chemical properties of the culm were recommended.
Keywords: culm, Bambusa vulgaris, microstructural examination, raw material
Description:
INTRODUCTION
According to Anokye et al. (2014) Bamboo is the largest
member of grass family known as Poaceae. Wang and Shen (1987), stated that
there are about 60 to 70 genera and over 1,200 to 1,500 species of bamboo in
the world. Bamboo species can be found in various climate from cold
mountain-top to hot tropical region. They grow abundantly in most of the
tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Janssen (1995) noted that bamboo
is one of the fastest growing renewable resources in the world. It takes a
short period of time to mature and can be harvested for utilization within 3 to
4 years. Bamboo has phenomenal growth rate potential with some species growing
at a rate of 15 to 18 cm daily thereby attaining a maximum height within 4 to 6
months.
Bamboo is known for its versatility of uses since the
ancient times. Bamboo chips were used to record history in ancient China. Among
the forest plants, bamboo is another important forest product that has
traditional and cultural value to rural people. Traditionally, people have used
it for a variety of purposes for household utilities such as containers,
chopsticks, joss paper, joss stick, toothpick, woven mats, fishing poles,
cricket boxes, handicrafts, chairs and baskets. Apart from being used widely as
household products, it has been used traditionally in constructing houses,
pipes and bridges. Bamboo is also one of the oldest building materials used by
man (Latif et al. 1990). It has been widely used by man as construction or
building materials such as flooring.
The matured culm of Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex. J. C.
Wendl. is being put to use in very many ways by the Ishan speaking people of
Esan land in Edo State, Nigeria. Notable among these ways is the popular new
yam festival called Ihuen festival in Ogwa town where matured culms of bamboo
are used as drum set for the traditional music because of the sonorous
characteristics of the matured culm.
According to Sadiku et al., (2016), Bamboo has been used
extensively in China for the production of papergrade and dissolving pulp due
to its unique properties such as high growth rate, low resources cost, long or
semi-long fibre and high cellulose content compared to most wood species (Runge
et al., 2012 and Cao et al., 2014). Bamboo could be utilized as a source for
long-fibred raw material for pulp and paper production and at the same time
reduce the current pressure on the timber resources. The production of pulp
from fast growing non-timber species such as bamboo could serve as export
product for foreign exchange which may improve the Nigerian economy.
In the recent time, researchers have become more inquisitive
about the anatomy, morphology and physical properties of fibres in plants
vis-avis the possible end use(s). Notable among these are Razak et al. (2010),
Aina et al. (2012), Otoide (2013), Sharma et. al. (2013), Otoide (2014), Otoide
(2015), Otoide (2016), Sadiku et al (2016), Otoide (2017) and Otoide et. al.
(2018 a & b). Razak et al. (2010) reported increment in thickness of fibre
and parenchyma cell walls from 2 to 4 year-old culms of Bambusa vulgaris. Also,
Aina et al. (2012) reported the possible usage of culms of Bambusa vulgaris for
the production of paper and as building and structural materials due to the
characteristics of the fibres. Similarly, Otoide (2013) reported the presence
of libriform, non-septate and medium sized fibres in the stem of a fully grown
species of Adansonia digitata. Furthermore, Sharma et. al., (2013) evaluated
the characteristics of fibres in some weeds of Arunachal Padesh, India for pulp
and paper making. More so, Otoide (2014) studied the fibres in the stem of
Afzelia africana by measuring their lengths and diameters in micrometer and
recommended the usage of the species for construction works and any other
production in which woods with extremely short fibres will not negatively
affect the end product of production. Still, Otoide (2015) reported the
presence of very short fibres and Runkel’s ratio of less than one in the trunk
of Citrus sinensis and recommended it as alternative source of raw materials
for pulp and paper industries. In the same vein, Otoide (2016) carried out the
morphometric analysis of the fibres in the trunk of Alstonia boonei and reported
occurrence of medium sized, thick-walled and aseptate libriform fibres with
living protoplasm and thereafter, recommended the species for construction of
shelterbelts for inhabitants of areas disturbed by wind and windstorm as well
as construction of yam and animal barns for subsistent and commercial
agriculture. Furthermore, Sadiku et. al., (2016) studied the dimension and
chemical characterization of the fibres in culm of naturally grown Bambusa
vulgaris and recommended the production of pulp and paper from the culm because
of the Runkel’s ratio which was below one. Similarly, Otoide (2017) reported
the presence of highly thickened cell-walled fibres, libriform and aseptate
fibres in the woody stem of Theobroma cacao. Similarly, Otoide et al,. (2018a)
reported the occurrence of elastic fibres having felting power of more than 33
when mature stem of Tithonia diversifolia was studied to ascertain its
potential use for pulp and paper making. They recommended the suitability of
the stem for pulp and paper production. Still, Otoide et al., (2018b) assessed
the anatomy of fibres in the trunk of Alstonia boonei for some derived indexes
and recommended the species as alternative source of raw materials for pulp and
paper making.
The present examination is undertaken in order to deduce and
ascertain possible end use derivable from mature culms of Bambusa vulgaris
thereby providing additional information to the already existing but scanty
one.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Collection of Samples
Three different culms of Bambusa vulgaris aging about
35years and growing at the Bamboo plantation own by Forest Research Institute
of Nigeria (FRIN) were felled at about 30 cm above ground level. Each culms
measuring 10-15 cm were cut to a length of 12m leaving out the top parts with
branches. These culms were later subdivided into 3 equal lengths of bottom,
middle and top portions of 4m each. Sample blocks for anatomical study were
fixed in formalin-acetic acid (90% of ethanol of 70% conc., 4% glacial acetic
acid, 6% formaldehyde of 37-48% conc.) immediately after felling and kept in
closed bottles for subsequent studies.
Maceration and
Measurement of the Fibres
Sample blocks of 20mm x 10mm x culms wall thickness were
chiped radially into match stick size splints with a sharp knife. The splints
were then put in marked vial. Jeffrey’s solution (50:50 mixture of 15% nitric
acid and 10% chromic acid) were used to macerate the fibres. A period of 48
hours was allowed to soften the splints (Razak et. al., 2010). At the end of
the maceration, the softened splints were carefully washed with distilled water
and capped securely. After staining the fibres with Safranin-O, Eight hundred
complete and reasonably straight fibres were measured using the system consisting
of Leica DMLS microscope and camera: Leica DC 300 supported by Leica IM 1000
software which enabled digital recording of prepared preparations and very
precise electronic measurement to determine their length, diameter, wall
thickness and lumen diameter (Otoide et. al. 2018)
RESULTS AND
DISCUSSIONS
The results of the present examination have been summarized in Table 1. The values of 2.97±0.53, 18.59±5.20, 9.98±3.03 and 4.30±1.12 were the means (µm) for the length (mm), diameter, lumen width and cell wall thickness of the fibres respectively. Consequently, the fibres fall within the class of very short and elastic fibres. This assertion is in line with the previous reports of Egbewole et al. (2015) about the fibres of culms of Bambusa vulgaris and that of Samariha et al. (2011) about elasticity of fibres. Furthermore, the mean values for length, diameter, lumen width and cell wall thickness derived for the fibres in the present examination corroborate the previous reports of Brink (2008) and Sadiku (2016) about the anatomical properties of fibres of Bambusa vulgaris from tropical Africa
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